YMMV / Dad's Army

• Accidental Innuendo: Something Lance Corporal Jones was prone to. For example, describing a mutinous American sailor being whipped -
  "And that was the noise that he ejaculated while he was being flogged, sir."
• Growing the Beard: The first two seasons are pretty good (though large portions of the second are sadly lost), but the show really hit its stride in the third season, when it moved into colour and got a much bigger location budget.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: Wendy Richard played a girlfriend of Walker's. In her first two appearances, her name was "Edith", but in her last two, it became "Shirley". Richard would later be best known for playing Miss Shirley Brahms in Are You Being Served?.
• Ho Yay:
  • Between Mainwaring and Wilson - episodes occasionally forced them to share a bed. This was always Played for Laughs.
  • Combined with Big-Lipped Alligator Moment in one episode with Frazer and Mainwaring, when Frazer tells a dramatic bedtime story as the platoon sleep in a shed ("The Story of the Auld Empty Barn"^note There was nothing in it. The End.). As he dramatically builds up to the end, he seems, for no apparent reason, to be stroking Mainwaring's left nipple.
• Jerkass Woobie: Mainwaring is extremely pompous but it is impossible not to feel sympathy for him at times. His obsessive fixation on the platoon is heavily implied to be the result of a rather dull middle-class bank manager suddenly discovering excitement, purpose and authority after spending many lonely, unfulfilled years in a stalled career and a loveless marriage with a controlling and neurotic wife. Mainwaring missed active service in World War One, but whatever else he is, he's not a coward or unpatriotic. It's easy to imagine that the embarrassment of his lack of wartime service has rankled for years and even though he's too old to serve this time round, he's determined to make a good show of it. It's just a shame his pomposity and lack of self-awareness get in the way.
• Memetic Mutation: "They don't like it up 'em!" and the opening sequence with the swastika arrows aimed at Britain — this is often referenced by the tabloids (and the opening credits of Have I Got News for You) for stories about the European Union.
• Newer Than They Think: The theme song, "Who Do You Think You Are Kidding, Mr. Hitler", was written specifically for the series, but is often mistaken by younger generations for a genuine patriotic song from the war years. This misconception is encouraged by the fact that genuine period songs were used in the rest of the soundtrack.
• Retroactive Recognition:
  • Fans of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim may be surprised to know that Jean Gilpin (who voiced Elenwen of the Thalmor) had a role in "The Making of Private Pike" as Pike's abusive Girl of the Week.
  • Fulton Mackay, best known as warder Mr Mackay in Porridge, appears as a Drill Sergeant Nasty in the 1973 episode "We Know Our Onions". He would later reappear as a doctor in the 1977 episode "The Misers Hoard".
  • Walker's girlfriend is played by Wendy Richard, aka Pauline Fowler in EastEnders.
  • Nigel Hawthorne appears in "The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones" as Angry Man.
  • Mr. Boyle from "A. Wilson (Manager)?" is played by Arthur Brough, who would later be best known for playing Mr. Grainger in Are You Being Served?.
  • A policeman from "Absent Friends" is played by Arthur English, who would later be best known for playing Mr. Harman in Are You Being Served?.
  • Mrs. Prentice from "All is Safely Gathered In" is played by Brenda Cowling, who would later be best known for playing Mrs. Lipton in You Rang, M'Lord?.
  • Mrs. Gray from "Mum's Army" is played by Carmen Silvera, who would later be best known for playing Edith Artois in 'Allo 'Allo!.
  • Gerald the ARP Warden is played by Don Estelle, who would later be best known for playing Lofty in It Ain't Half Hot, Mum.
  • The Bridge Corporal from "Brain Versus Brawn" is played by Geoffrey Hughes, who would later be best known for playing Onslow in Keeping Up Appearances and Twiggy in The Royle Family.
  • Three guest roles from between 1974 and 1977 are played by Felix Bowness, who would later be best known for playing Fred Quilley in Hi-de-Hi!.
  • Mr. Bluett is played by Harold Bennett, who would later be best known for playing Young Mr. Grace in Are You Being Served?.
  • A gardener from "The Day the Balloon Went Up" and a landlord from "Ring Dem Bells" are played by Jack Haig, who would later be best known for playing the first LeClerc in 'Allo 'Allo!.
  • A soldier from "Wake-Up Walmington" is played by Jeffrey Holland, who would later be best known for playing Spike Dixon in Hi-de-Hi!.
  • A wireless operator from "Round and Round Went the Great Big Wheel" is played by John Clegg, who would later be best known for playing Gunner Graham in It Ain't Half Hot, Mum.
  • Three guest roles from between 1969 and 1970 are played by Larry Martyn, who would later be best known for playing Mr. Mash in Are You Being Served?.
  • Lady Maltby from "The Captain's Car" is played by Mavis Pugh, who would later be best known for playing Lady Lavender in You Rang, M'Lord?.
  • Four guest roles from between 1969 and 1972 are played by Michael Knowles, who would later be best known for playing Captain Ashwood in It Ain't Half Hot, Mum and Teddy Meldrum in You Rang, M'Lord?.
  • The Chambermaid from "My Brother and I" is played by Penny Irving, who would later be best known for playing Miss Bakewell in Are You Being Served?.
  • Lieutenant Wood from "Gorilla Warfare" is played by Robin Parkinson, who would later be best known for playing the third LeClerc in 'Allo 'Allo!.
  • Mrs. Cole from "Uninvited Guests" is played by Rose Hill, who would later be best known for playing Madame Fanny in 'Allo 'Allo!.
• Values Dissonance:
  • When reciting 'Eenie meenie miney mo', Pike renders the second line as "Catch a nigger by the toe" which would have been the way the rhyme went both in the 1940s where the show was set and the 1960s when it was written.
  • "Absent Friends", which involves the platoon trying to capture a suspected IRA member, is sometimes omitted from broadcast because of the stereotypical portrayal of the Irish. Before that, it would be left out of broadcast schedules because of The Troubles.
  • "The Making Of Private Pike" has his Girl of the Week reveal her nastier side and call him "retarded", making an already brutal beatdown sound even worse nowadays.
  • Hodges attempting to blackmail Mrs Pike for sex in "High Finance" isn't treated as something normal or acceptable, but by the same token a punch from Wilson is treated as being the end of the matter, unlike today when it would almost certainly result in criminal charges.
• The Woobie: Private Godfrey, especially in the case of "Branded".

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